The Gila Bend Unified School District is asking for a 15% budget override for fiscal year 2024/2025 and the next subsequent six (6) fiscal years thereafter.

- If you aren't already registered to vote, the last day to register in order to be eligible to vote in this election is Tuesday, October 10th, 2023.

• Check your voter registration status at ezaz.org/vote

- Ballots will be mailed on October 11, 2023. The last day to request early ballot October 27 

- VOTED BALLOTS MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN 7 p.m., November 7th. MAIL ballots by October 31st.

All registered voters that reside in the Gila Bend Unified School District will receive a ballot by mail with voting instructions in the envelope.

- Has at least 1 teacher who has signed a pledge to teach Critical Race Theory (CRT) and all other social justice-oriented curriculum to children, regardless of the law or the wishes of parents. - SOURCE 

- Critical Race Theory teaches that systemic racism is part of American society - from education and housing to employment and healthcare. - SOURCE

- 86.21% Graduation Rate 

- 7% of students are proficient at English Language Arts 

- 5% of students are proficient at Math

Gila Bend Unified pays an average annual salary of $54,519 to teachers. The average annual salary in Gila Bend is $62,000.

Voters will be asked to say yes or no on one measure: 

- The 15% budget override

- The estimated average annual tax rate for the proposed Override authorization is an estimated continuation of a tax rate of $0.57 per $100 of assessed valuation. 

- Shows up on your tax bill as secondary property tax. 

- Property taxes combined add up to thousands of dollars! 

- To view your current property tax liability, visit https://treasurer.maricopa.gov/Parcel/ParcelSearch.aspx

Gila Bend Unified spends $15,083 per student per year.

- Without passage of the override, the district will have to reduce the operational budget. 

- Once any outstanding Bonds and Overrides are repaid, you won't have to continue paying Secondary property taxes related to the bond. 

Comparing to the 2018-2019 School Year Performance to the 2021-2022 School Year Performance 

- Drop in Enrollment of Students from 455 to 453 

- Drop Out Rate Nearly Tripled from 3.52% to 9.77% 

- 12% Drop in Math Proficiency 

- 10% Drop in English Proficiency 

- Increase of 4.96% in Graduation Rate 

- Reported Instances of Violence Increased from 0 to 9 

- Total Students with Chronic Absenteeism Increased from 0 to 200 [That is nearly half of all enrolled students] 

- Total Students Enrolled in at least one Advanced Placement Course Stayed the Same at 0 

- Total Students Reported as Harassed or Bullied Increased from 0 to 4

- Once any outstanding Bonds and Overrides are repaid, you won't have to continue paying Secondary property taxes related to the bond. 

- If the measure passes, the current Secondary tax rates will remain the same; however; 

- If the measure passes, the total amount of taxes paid will likely go higher if there is continued inflation related to property values.

Gila Bend Unified is legally allowed to call the override a continuation even though we will vote to approve it as if it is new.

- Maintain or reduce subtend to teacher ratios 

- Maintain full day kindergarten 

- Support special activity programs such as music and technology 

- Classroom materials, including textbooks

- If the override measure is defeated, your landlord’s taxes will go down and could mitigate future rent increases. 

- Irrespective of being a property owner, we all want to see the kids receive a quality education. 

- To view your current property tax liability, visit https://treasurer.maricopa.gov/Parcel/ParcelSearch.aspx